DogPile Description

The Dogpile Redirect is a symptom of various browser hijackers, especially ones associated with certain toolbars and other browser add-ons for Internet Explorer. Dogpile Redirect attacks may lock either your homepage or your default search engine to Dogpile.com, a seemingly functional search site that, regrettably, has a history rich in associations with low-level PC threats. Although protected and limited contact with the search results promoted through a Dogpile Redirect attack isn’t likely to be a major security issue, malware experts still suggest deleting any add-on that causes Dogpile Redirects as a primary function. To be certain of removing both all related browser changes and any other associated PC threats, using anti-malware products for the disinfection process should be taken as common sense.

When Your Browser is Being Dogpiled from Unexpected Sources

The Dogpile Redirect problem is associated with multiple browser toolbars, including the (currently discontinued) DogPile toolbar and SearchTape, a general search engine utility that has been bundled with other programs, such as Contactier (a social networking contacts utility). Although all of these programs seem safe on a surface inspection, malware researchers found some unhappy surprises when looking into the histories of the related sites and companies.

The DogPile toolbar has been warned to include invasive browser-tracking functions, and both DogPile and SearchTape are classified as adware. The DogPile toolbar also is categorized as a browser hijacker. Finally, sites associated with either of these products have been known to distribute a variety of low-level PC threats and, in rare cases, links towards phishing attacks.

The promotion of phishing attacks is, perhaps, most relevant to the issue of a Dogpile Redirect – since phishing attacks easily may be disguised within search results. While malware experts currently see no signs of Dogpile.com continuing past unsavory efforts, they do warn that any interaction with content related to a Dogpile Redirect should be undertaken with a significant degree of caution.

Dogpile Redirects, themselves, easily are detected from their perpetual tactics of forcing your browser to load Dogpile.com, as well as the fact that the programs they’re associated with predominantly are browser toolbars with distinctly visible components.

Pulling Your Browser out of a Pile of Unhelpful Software

If you practice safe browsing habits, avoid potentially threatening website links (such as fraudulent software updates or phishing attacks disguised as surveys) and use appropriate PC security software, a temporary Dogpile Redirect problem shouldn’t be able to harm your computer in any meaningful way. However, given Dogpile.com’s past, Dogpile Redirect attacks should be resolved as soon as it’s convenient, rather than ignored as a non-threat to the safety of your browser or the rest of your PC.

Although Dogpile.com does offer uninstall instructions for software that causes Dogpile Redirect problems, malware researchers advise against using this ‘official’ method of uninstalling related PC threats. To be as certain as possible that all components of a Dogpile Redirect hijacker have been deleted entirely, using anti-malware software to examine your computer is preferred as the most reliable disinfection method.

Aliases

Suspicious file [Panda]

DogPile Automatic Detection Tool (Recommended)

Is your PC infected with DogPile? To safely & quickly detect DogPile we highly recommend you run the malware scanner listed below.

Additional Information

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.